Part IE+W General

Chapter IIIE+W [F1local authorities]

General functionsE+W

[F215ZADuty in respect of education and training for persons over compulsory school age: EnglandE+W

(1)A [F3local authority] in England must secure that enough suitable education and training is provided to meet the reasonable needs of—

(a)persons in their area who are over compulsory school age but under 19, and

(b)persons in their area who are aged 19 or over [F4and for whom an EHC plan is maintained].

(2)A [F3local authority] may comply with subsection (1) by securing the provision of education or training outside as well as within their area.

(3)In deciding for the purposes of subsection (1) whether education or training is suitable to meet persons' reasonable needs, a [F3local authority] must (in particular) have regard to—

(a)the persons' ages, abilities and aptitudes;

(b)any learning difficulties [F5or disabilities] the persons may have;

(c)the quality of the education or training;

(d)the locations and times at which the education or training is provided.

(4)In performing the duty imposed by subsection (1) a [F3local authority] must—

(a)act with a view to encouraging diversity in the education and training available to persons;

(b)act with a view to increasing opportunities for persons to exercise choice;

(c)act with a view to enabling persons to whom Part 1 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 applies to fulfil the duty imposed by section 2 of that Act;

(d)take account of education and training whose provision the authority think might reasonably be secured by other persons.

(5)A [F3local authority] must, in—

(a)making any determination as to the provision of apprenticeship training that should be secured under subsection (1), or

(b)securing the provision of any apprenticeship training under that subsection,

co-operate with [F6the Secretary of State].

(6)For the purposes of this section a person has a learning difficulty [F7or disability] if—

(a)the person has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of persons of the same age, or

(b)the person has a disability which either prevents or hinders the person from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided by institutions providing education or training for persons who are over compulsory school age.

(7)But a person is not to be taken to have a learning difficulty [F8or disability] solely because the language (or form of language) in which the person is or will be taught is different from a language (or form of language) which has at any time been spoken in the person's home.

(8)In this section—

  • apprenticeship training” means training provided in connection with—

    (aa)

    [F9an approved English apprenticeship agreement (within the meaning given in section A1(3) of that Act),]

    (a)

    an apprenticeship agreement (within the meaning given in section 32 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009),

    (b)

    any other contract of employment, F10...

    (c)

    any other kind of working in relation to which alternative English completion conditions apply under section 1(5) of that Act (meaning of “completing an English apprenticeship”);

    (d)

    [F11an alternative English apprenticeship (within the meaning given in section A1(4) of that Act);]

  • education” includes full-time and part-time education;

  • training” includes—

    (a)

    full-time and part-time training;

    (b)

    vocational, social, physical and recreational training;

    (c)

    apprenticeship training.

[F12(9)The duty in subsection (1) does not apply in relation to persons in a local authority's area who are subject to a detention order.]]

Textual Amendments

F4Words in s. 15ZA(1) substituted (1.9.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 5(2); S.I. 2014/889, art. 7(a) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/2270 (as amended (1.4.2015) by S.I. 2015/505)

F5Words in s. 15ZA(3)(b) inserted (1.9.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 5(3); S.I. 2014/889, art. 7(a) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/2270 (as amended (1.4.2015) by S.I. 2015/505)

F6Words in s. 15ZA(5) substituted (26.5.2015) by Deregulation Act 2015 (c. 20), s. 115(3)(g), Sch. 14 para. 44

F7Words in s. 15ZA(6) inserted (1.9.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 5(4); S.I. 2014/889, art. 7(a) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/2270 (as amended (1.4.2015) by S.I. 2015/505)

F8Words in s. 15ZA(7) inserted (1.9.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 5(4); S.I. 2014/889, art. 7(a) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/2270 (as amended (1.4.2015) by S.I. 2015/505)

F12S. 15ZA(9) substituted (1.9.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 5(5); S.I. 2014/889, art. 7(a) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/2270 (as amended (1.4.2015) by S.I. 2015/505)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C2S. 15ZA functions made exercisable concurrently (1.4.2011) by The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/908), arts. 1, 10, Sch. 3 para. 6

C6S. 15ZA functions made exercisable concurrently (1.4.2016) by The Tees Valley Combined Authority Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/449), arts. 1(a), 7, Sch. 2 para. 3

C7Ss. 15ZA-15ZC functions made exercisable concurrently (17.6.2016) by The West Midlands Combined Authority Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/653), art. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 3

C8S. 15ZA functions made exercisable concurrently (9.2.2017) by The West of England Combined Authority Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/126), arts. 1(3), 25(1), Sch. 5 paras. 1, 3